Tattoos are created by injecting ink into the skin. A tattoo artist employs a tattoo machine for creating a tattoo. Typically, the tattoo machine includes alternating electromagnetic coils that are used to move or vibrate one or more reciprocating tattoo needles that inject the ink into the skin. Each of the tattoo needles punctures the skin between 50 and 3,000 times per minute, and penetrates the skin by approximately a millimeter. Each of the tattoo needles injects the ink into the corresponding penetration holes, creating a permanent marking of the skin.
FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a plurality of tattoo needles in a curved tip arrangement (FIG. 1), a magnum (“mag”) tube for holding and surrounding the plurality of tattoo needles (FIG. 2), and a plurality of different sized mag tubes (FIG. 3), respectively. The plurality of tattoo needles in the curved tip arrangement, as illustrated FIG. 1, include outside tattoo needles that are recessed axially relative to inside tattoo needles. This curved tip arrangement prevents tissue damage that occurs with a substantially flat profile on the tattoo needle tip (corresponding to the substantially flat housing profiles of FIGS. 2 and 3). Disadvantageously, ink distribution is uneven and there is still anatomical damage from the outside tattoo needles when a curved tip tattoo needle arrangement is utilized with a substantially flat housing profile mag tip or tube, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. In such an assembly, the outside tattoo needles are typically flush with the opening of the housing, while the inside tattoo needles typically protrude from the housing to a predetermined degree. Thus, what is still needed in the art is a tattoo needle housing assembly that includes a novel tip having a curvature that substantially matches the collective curvature of the plurality of enclosed tattoo needles.
FIG. 4 illustrates a conventional exemplary tattoo needle housing which consists of a prismatic tubular structure in which one or more rows, or a grouping of tattoo needles in a predetermined configuration, whether flat tipped or curved tipped, are disposed. In operation, the tattoo needle housing is dipped in ink and the ink wicks up the prismatic tubular structure and surrounds the tattoo needles. The ink is subsequently deposited by gravity and/or vibration. Disadvantageously, such tattoo needle housing tends to shed ink and run dry too quickly. Thus, what is still needed in the art is a tattoo needle housing that is configured to better retain ink.